Topic: server can see 'net, clients can't see server

[andy]

Hopefully I've done enough research/reading/trying things not to get shot down for asking here

I've loaded 5.2 onto a server here, connected to NTL cable modem, and gone through the usual config settings, pretty much accepting defaults in most places except the eth cards which needied to be swapped. Can now test Internet access and get a successful test message.

The only problem is that none of the clients can see the server. I always had this issue with a win2K laptop (belongs to seperate domain for work reasons), but the Win98 client can't reach the server-manager panel at all.

I tried creating the necessary windows workgroup in the lynx browser, then doing the same on the client, but still no joy. Noticed that despite DHCP being configured, the client wasn't getting an IP address in the internal range. Settings are as specified in the manual regarding gaining IP automatically. Released the IP address of the NIC and rebooted - no joy. Getting nowhere now, and a search of the forums here didn't turn up anything. I'm running out of ideas (short of trying again with 5.5 ) - if anyone could suggest something to try I'd really be grateful.

If it helps, server goes to Netgear ethernet hub, then onto client(s). Removing the hub from the equation doesn't make any difference...

Andy

[Bill Talcott]

Start with the basics. If the client isn't getting the DHCP info, it'll assign itself an IP address, which is most likely not in the range you're using. That will lead to not being able to access anything.

As a teporary fix, you could enter the IP, netmask, DNS, gateway, and WINS addresses into the client manually. Have you checked to make sure dhcpd is actually running? If you're using 5.1.2 (there is no 5.2), look at the Bugs page. http://www.e-smith.org/bugs/index.php3?op=showBug&bugID=67

[andy]

>As a teporary fix, you could enter the IP, netmask, DNS, gateway, and WINS
>addresses into the client manually. Have you checked to make sure dhcpd is
> actually running? If you're using 5.1.2 (there is no 5.2), look at the Bugs page.
> http://www.e-smith.org/bugs/index.php3?op=showBug&bugID=67

Tried both manual input and the recommendations of the bug fix - still no joy.

I've connected the client directly to my cable modem and it picks up the DHCP fine from the ISP. I've tried manually entering all the settings and still no joy in connecting. The symptom of the bug you linked to was that the connections times are typically long from the client - mine are never! DHCP appears during startup on the server as loading OK.

Have upgraded to 5.5 to see if that fixes it, but no change. I still get the successful Internet test from the server. No activity showing on the NICs between the server and the client though. If I swith cards (and cables) on the server the same result occurs - Internet OK, client can't see the server. No ping to the server, or any external address from the client. If I nominate the server as the NT domain to log onto, then the message telling me that the client was unable to log onto the network, and therefore network services will be unavailable, appears.

Also tried changing the server to Server-only, rather than server and gatweway, with the same result (obviously without the successful Internet test).

Completely baffled as to what's going wrong...

Andy

[Bill Talcott]

andy wrote:
>
> >As a teporary fix, you could enter the IP, netmask, DNS,
> gateway, and WINS
> >addresses into the client manually. Have you checked to make
> sure dhcpd is
> > actually running? If you're using 5.1.2 (there is no 5.2),
> look at the Bugs page.
> > http://www.e-smith.org/bugs/index.php3?op=showBug&bugID=67
>
> Tried both manual input and the recommendations of the bug
> fix - still no joy.

This is really as simple as it gets. If you can't ping the server from a client with a manually specified IP in the right range, it seems as though there's a major problem with TCP/IP communications. You may want to just start over in case something important got corrupted or something.

> I've connected the client directly to my cable modem and it
> picks up the DHCP fine from the ISP. I've tried manually
> entering all the settings and still no joy in connecting. The
> symptom of the bug you linked to was that the connections
> times are typically long from the client - mine are never!
> DHCP appears during startup on the server as loading OK.

This doesn't really do anything related to your problem, other than verify that the client NIC isn't dead. What exactly did you mean by "The symptom of the bug you linked to was that the connections times are typically long from the client - mine are never!"? If you can't connect to the server, then your connection times would be "infinite"...

What LAN settings are you using? Internal SME IP/netmask, client IP/netmask, etc.

[Barry Rogers]

Old post, but may help...
Can you ping other Clients on the same hub? If so, then the TCP/IP seems OK. Is the server on the same hub or is it cascaded through? Cascade maybe wrong, or hubs mismatch. Perhaps the cables are stuffed, try moving them around.
When all else failes, go to a minimal configuration... one server and one Client on same hub. Can they see each other, before you want to do anything else?
Are you running any other protocols other than TCP/IP? NetBEUI or Novell on the Clients? These sometimes can conflict with each other and drive the network nuts.
Could be Subnet mask problems... look at server, clients for same configuration.
Good luck.
Let me know what the problem eventually was. We are running all OK here.